Apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oils



M. J. TRUMBLE. APPARATUS FOR TREATING HYDROCARBON OILS.

APPLICATION FILED 1uLYI9,I9 Is.

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M.. l. TRUMBLE. APPARATUS FOB. TREATING HYDHOCARBON OILS.

APP`L|CATON FILED IULY 19, 1915.

UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE.

:MILON J. TRUMBLE, oF ALHAMBRA, CALIFORNIA, AssIGNoR rro SHELL COMPANY, OF CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

APPARATUS FOR rREArINsnyDRO'OARRON OILs.

Specification ofLetters Patent. Patented Aug. 117, 1920 Application led July 19, 1916. Serial No. 110,080.

To all whom/z5 may concern:

Be it known lthat I, MTLON J. TRUMBLF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alhambra, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Apparatus for Treating Hydrocarbon Oils, of which the following is a. specification.

My invention relates to the art of treating hydrocarbon oils for the purpose of changing their physical characteristics. There eX- ists in a natural state great quantities of hydro-carbon oil which are too heavy and viscous to be of any great commercial value. I have found that by treating these oils in the manner hereinafter stated that they can be lightened in specific gravity and rendered less viscous. I also find that various products, such as gasolene, naphtha, benzin andbenzoltoluene can be produced from these heavy oils.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an apparatus of simple form and construction which will .treat hydrocarbon oils for the purposes above set forth.

Further objects and advantages will be made evident hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings. which are for illustrative purposes only: K

Figure 1 is a plan view of an apparatus embodying Amy invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevation, partly in cross section, on a Bplane corresponding to the line @v2-m2 of ig.,1.

In the apparatus shown, I provide a furnace 11, a rst separator 12, a draft fan 13. a second separator 14, a third separator 15,

` a condenser 16, a fourth separator 17, a

. `trolled by a valve 26, the other end of the Steam coil being provided with a nozzle 27r first pump 18, and a second pump 19.

The furnace 11 consists of walls forming a closed chamber 2O having a door ,21 in the forward end thereof through which the air of combustion may be admitted andk through which a gas or oil-burner 22 projects, this burner being supplied with liquid or gaseous fuel throu ha gas pipe 23. A checker-work 10, pre erably formed of fire brick, is placed in such a position that the flame from the burner 22 plays against and through it. Located in the bottom of the furnace'll is a steam coil 24 which is fed at one end with water from a pipe 25 conthrough which superheated steam is injected 1nto the chamber` 20. v

The vfour separators are similar in construction in that each consists of an outer shell 30 having an inlet opening 31 in the top and having an outlet elbow 32 secured to a conical bottom 33. Located inside each shell 30 are a plurality of cones 34, these cones being slightly smaller in diameter than the inside of the shell 30 and being secured to a central column 35 which is provided with a series of perforations 36 at a point directly under the cones 34. Each col umn 35 is connected through a series of vapor outlet pipes 37 with a vapor manifold 38. The chamber 20 communicates with the interior of the first separator 12 through one of the openings -31 and the vapor manifold 38 of the first separator is connected by means of a pipe 40 with the intake side of the draft lfan 13, this draft fan being preferably a standard centrifugal fan driven by means of' a pulley 41 from any source of power not shown. The pressure side of the fan 13 is connected through a pipe 42 with the .opening 31 inthe top of the second separator 14.v The vapor manifold 38 of the second separator 14 is connected through a pipe 43 with the opening 31 in the top of the third separator 15. The

' vapor manifold 38 of the third separator 15 is connected through a pipe 44 with the top of the condenser 16, this condenser being of any standard form and being water cooled by means of water admitted through a pipe 45 and taken ofi:l through a pipe 46. A portion of the water taken off through the pipe 46 passes through the pipe 47 and a valve 48 to a spray nozzle 49 located in the top of the third separator 15. condenser 16 is connected through a pipe 5() with the openir 31 in the top of the fourth separator 17. age glasses 52 are rovided for each separator by means of w ich the level of any liquid in the bottom of the various separators may be determined.

An oil supply pipe 60 is provided, this pipe'connecting into a fitting 61 in theetop of which an oil injection pipe 62 is secured, this oil'injection pipe discharging into the top of the first separator 12 just inside the opening 31. A first separator residuum pipe 64 connects the outlet elbow 32 of the yfirst separator 12 with the exhaust side 4of 'lol The bottom of'the the first pump 18, this pump being connected through a pipe 65 with one of the branches of the fitting 61. A second separator residuum pipe 66 connects the outlet elbow 32 of lthe second separator 14 with the suction side of the second pump 19, the pressure side of the ,pump ybeing connected through a pipe 67 with the fitting 61. A

l third separator residuum pipe 68 is provided, this pipe beingA connected into the outlet elbow 32 of the third separator 15,

vthe flow of fluid therethrough being con- K, the side of the third separator 15 is a heavy distillate supply pipe 80 which is provided with a valve 81. The manifold 38 of the fourth separator 17 is connected through a pipe 90 with the suction side of a compressor 91, the pressure side of which is connected through a pipe 92 with a condenser or cooler 93 which is fed with cooling fluid through a pipe 94, this fluid being drawn olf through a pipe 95.

The method of operation of my invention is as follows: y

Oil under pressure is supplied through the pipe 60 from any source not shown. This oil may be ordinary crude oil, or it may be a residuum from previous distillations, orit may be any one of various forms of hydrocarbon oil, being hereinafter calledthe raw material. g l This rawmaterial passes through the pipe 60, and the pipe 62 which discharge the oil on the top ofthe first separator 12. Gas or oil being supplied to the burner 22 through thepipe 23, an intense combustion is producedin the chamber 20, ther flame of this combustion.- playing against the checkerwork 10 and on the steam coil 24 and producing steam from the Water supplied through the pipe 25,this steam being greatly superheated or even gasified before it passes out through the nozzle 27 into the chamber 20. The steam and the products of com- `the'separatr 12in a thin film, from which the gaseous =`constituents readily separate.

During the passage of the gaseous medium and the Oil through the 'separator 12 there occurs a very marked action on the body of raw material, the hot gases and steam mixing with the raw material and tending to alter the physical characteristics of the oil. Some of the oil is vaporized and is carried out of the separator 12 with the other gases through the vapor outlet pipes 37, entering these pipes 37 through the perforations 36 in the column 35. That portion of the raw material which is not vaporized settles to the bottom of the first separator 12, being drawn outwardly through the pipe 64 by the first pump 18. This first pump 18 forces the residuum from the first separator l2 upwardly through the oil injection pi e 62 to the spray nozzle 63 which is also ed with crude oil delivered by the oil supply pipe 60.

The mixture of hot gases and vapors of distillation leaving the first separator 12 through the vapor outlet pipes 37 passes into the vapor manifold 38 and is drawn through the pipe 40 b the draft fan 13, being forced through tie pipe 42 into the second separator 14. In this separator the gas and any liquid which may be contained therein isspread over the walls of the separator by the cones 34 and a further separation takes place, so that any free or condensed liquid which may be carried in the vapors and gases is'separated, falling to the bottom of the second separator 14 and being drawn therefrom through the second residuum pipe 66, the second pump 19 forcing this liquid through the pipe 67 into the at! ting 61, in which it joins residuum from the first separator 12 and raw material from the oil supply pipe 60, the mixture being carried upwardly through the pipe 62 and delivered to the spray nozzle 63 in the top of the first separator 12. The gases separated during the passage of the vapors through the second separator 14 are forced out through the small openings 36 in the column 35 and pass outwardly through the vapor outlet pipes 37 into the vapor manifold 38. These vapors pass through the pipe 43 into the top of the third separator 15, where they are sprayed with Water from the spray nozzle 49 for the purpose of removing certain of the solids and gases therefrom. The Water is drawn out, either continuously or intermittently, as desired, through the pipe 68, heavy distillates being drawn olf to storage through pipe 80. The vapors are forced out throu h the perforations 36 in the column 35 into the vapor.

manifold 38 and are forced through the ipe 44 into the to of the condenser 16. he mlxture of C 2 and other gases, together with the condensed liquids, all/thoroughly cooled, passes through the pipe 50 into the fourth separator 17. In its passage through this separator, all the uncondensed gases are drawn off through the perforations 36 in lowed to exhaust directly into the open air through the exhaust pipes 37 the manifold 38, pipes 90 and 92, compressor 91, and condenser 93 being in that ease omitted, or the vapors and gases may be compressed by the compressor 91 and cooled by the condenser 93 to remove certain volatile oils therefrom. The mixture Vof hydrocarbon liquids is 'drawn off through the pipe 70, this mixture of liquids containing a portion of the desired product.

It will be seen that my invention involves the conception of the treatment and retreatment of a hydrocarbon oil which is circulated through -the rst separator, this oil being treated by being intermittently mixed with superheated gases of combustion.

It Will rbe seen that it further involves the recirculation of residuum from the second separator 14:, and it involves the scrubbing of the mixture in the third separator 15.

lt further involves the cooling of the mixture of gases and hydrocarbon vapors, and the separation of the condensed vapors to form the final products.

I claim as my invention 1. An apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oils comprising a furnace, means in said furnace for producing hot gases o f practically uniform temperature, a separator having an opening in the top thereof, a lue for `conducting the hot gases formed in the furnace to said opening, and an inlet pipe so arranged as to spray the oil to `be treated through said opening in the direction of the hot gases.

2. An apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oils comprising a furnace, means for causing a combustion in said furnace, a separator having an opening in the top thereof, a series of spreader cones in said separator so placed that the oil sprayed through said opening falls on the first of said cones and passes over the edge thereof intimately mixing With the hot gases, a vapor take-ofi' for separator so arranged as to Withdravv hot vapor from below said cones and conduct it outside said separator, a flue for conducting the hot gases formed by the combustion in said furnace to said opening, and an inlet pipe for spraying the oil to be treated through said openn 3. An' apparatus for treating hy rocar-4 bon oils comprising a furnace, means for causing a combustion in said furnace, a separator having an opening in the top thereof, a flue for conducting the hot gases formed by the combustion in saidfurnace to said opening, an inlet pipe for spraying, the oil to be treated through said opening, a pump, a pipe connecting the separator With the suction side of said pump, and a pipe connecting the pressure side of said pump with said inlet pipe.

4f. An apparatus for treating hydrocar bon oils comprising a, furnace, means in said furnace for producing hot gases, a sep arator having an opening in the top thereof, a vflue forcondueting the hot gases formed in the furnace to said opening, and an inlet pipe so arranged as to spray the oil to be treated through said opening in the direction of the hot gases.

In testimony whereof yI have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 14th day of July, 1916.

. MILON J. TRUMBLE. 

